15 September 2020

New Reportable Incident Resources

In this update:

1. Video: Benefits of effective incident management
2. Resources to support effective incident management
3. NDIS provider reportable incident obligations
4. What is a reportable incident?
5. When do I have to notify the NDIS Commission about a reportable incident?

​1. Video: Benefits of effective incident management

“Prevention is the best way to keep people with disability safe from incidents that may cause harm.”

NDIS Commission Acting Director of Reportable Incidents (ACT/NSW), explains that managing incidents effectively is essential to providing quality and safe disability supports and services.

Find out more about effective incident management.

2. Resources to support incident reporting, management and prevention

Effective incident management practices can reduce preventable deaths, serious injuries and other serious incidents.

We have released new resources to support NDIS providers to effectively manage incidents. The resources also support NDIS providers to meet their obligations under National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and to develop effective incident management systems. 

These user-friendly resources complement the more detailed reportable incident guides available on our website. They provide information on the benefits of effective incident management, reportable incident obligations and timeframes, and incident management system requirements. They include:

Fact sheets – for your information:

• Fact sheet: Incident reporting management and prevention
• Fact sheet: Benefits of effective incident management

Other resources – to provide to your workers and display in your workplace:

• Poster: 'Identifying and responding to incidents: 6 step guide for workers'
• Ready reference resource for workers: 'Incident response: Is everyone safe?'

Videos – for your information. You may wish to show these at your staff meetings:

• Video 1: Reportable Incidents: Overview
• Video 2: Reportable Incidents: Notifying the NDIS Commission
• Video 3: Reportable Incidents: What to expect from the NDIS Commission
• Video 4: Benefits of effective incident management

3. NDIS provider reportable incident obligations

Registered NDIS providers are required to:

4. What is a reportable incident?

Registered NDIS providers must notify the NDIS Commission about what the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 calls ‘reportable incidents’.

For an incident to be reportable, a certain act or event needs to have happened (or alleged to have happened) in connection with the provision of supports or services by the registered NDIS provider. This includes:

• The death of a person with disability
• Serious injury of a person with disability
• Abuse or neglect of a person with disability
• Unlawful sexual or physical contact with, or assault of, a person with disability
• Sexual misconduct, committed against, or in the presence of, a person with disability, including grooming of the person with disability for sexual activity
• Unauthorised use of restrictive practices in relation to a person with disability.

5. When do I have to notify the NDIS Commission about a reportable incident?

When a reportable incident occurs, or is alleged to have occurred, in connection with the NDIS supports or services you deliver, you must notify us using the NDIS Commission Portal within set timeframes. These are:

Reporting is required even when you have acted and responded to incidents in accordance with your own incident management system, and even if the incident is only alleged to have occurred.

To notify us of an incident, you can access the NDIS Commission portal via our website, together with a range of NDIS Commission Portal Quick Reference Guides.

We are here to help you understand and comply with your reportable incident obligations. As above, you can access resources on our website, or you can contact us at contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au or on 1800 035 544 to talk to us.